Want to partner with Irish Dundalk?
Dundalk city in north-eastern Ireland is seeking four partner cities that share its vision of a healthier and sustainable urban future. The administrative capital of Ireland’s Louth County, Dundalk is planning to implement three visionary solutions to address an equal number of challenges as part of the EU-funded VARCITIES project’s City-to-City Exchange initiative. Dundalk is currently contending with a lack of open green spaces, no outdoor amenities and inadequate lighting in an area with little passive surveillance. It also has a maritime climate characterised by cold winters, mild summers and year-round high rainfall. Cities interested in partnering with Dundalk should share similar challenges and conditions and be located in the EU or in a country associated with the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation funding programme.
Improvements come with challenges
The Dundalk pilot’s visionary plan involves the creation of an outdoor learning hub in the open space of the Louth County Library and museum quarter at Roden Place. One of the biggest changes this entails is the removal of the car parking spaces to increase public open spaces and reduce climate risk exposure, noise and air pollution, and environmental stress. However, these improvements come with three challenges. The staff car parking has to be relocated from the courtyard area to behind the library. A balance needs to be struck between the use of space by pedestrians and cyclists. Also, steps must be taken to tackle anti-social behaviour encountered, particularly in the late evening.
Solutions come in threes
A VARCITIES news item describes the three key solutions to these problems. The first solution involves the creation of an Outdoor Learning Pod between the library and museum quarter “to showcase the newest technologies and host shared functions.” Virtual learning pod sensors will also be installed to collect data on visitor numbers and duration of stay, as will new software to record energy savings from existing photovoltaic roof panels on the museum roof. The second concerns the creation of a sensory garden “with new seating throughout the site and improved public lighting with LED lights” and a rainwater harvesting system to encourage more sustainable use of water. A new touchscreen monitor will display green learnings and project information. As part of the third solution, the site’s existing bike stations will be equipped with sensors. The resulting data collected on cyclist numbers will help the city better understand the use of the space. The selection process for the four partner cities will last until the end of November 2023. The VARCITIES (VISIONARY NATURE BASED ACTIONS FOR HEALTH, WELLBEING & RESILIENCE IN CITIES (VARCITIES)) City-to-City Exchange is expected to start in early 2024. For more information, please see: VARCITIES project website
Keywords
VARCITIES, city, urban, Dundalk, Ireland, hub, open space
